


Shine A Lignt On Our Sins

by breathedeep222



Category: The Black Tapes Podcast
Genre: Angst, Coralee has returned, F/M, Insomnia, Prompt Fic, implied infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-17 22:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5888323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breathedeep222/pseuds/breathedeep222
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my fill for a tumblr kiss prompt list. </p>
<p>No. 9: ripping the other away - “no we shouldn’t” - but when they kiss them again they moan and hold them close.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shine A Lignt On Our Sins

**Author's Note:**

> Just moving this from tumblr to AO3 cause why not. I'm still not bothering to proofread this so if anyone wants to point out errors feel free. I still seriously hate titling oneshots gah.

Alex was sitting in her living room, laptop perched on her coffee table, legs crossed, the blue glow of the computer her only company in her sleep deprived night. She was awake and working, this set up familiar now. At first her insomnia had been frustrating, and during the day it still was, but Alex had reached the point where the quiet of the night and the 12 AM musings were as comforting as an old friend.

Her customary routine was interrupted by the ringing of her doorbell. She glanced at her computer clock and the bold 12:30 confirmed the suspicions she felt at someone visiting her at this hour. Alex’s heart started to pound. It had been doing that a lot lately every time an event seemed misplaced, like reality wasn’t operating the way it should. Every time something odd happened she was convinced this was it, this was the time when that looming sense of doom would come to pass. Thankfully, the only thing outside her door was Richard Strand himself, looking rough around the edges but as handsome as ever. He was wearing a charcoal grey button up and slacks, sleeves rolled up and blue eyes shining from the contrast.

“Richard! What are you doing here?” Richard wasn’t the type for spontaneous visits. Even when they were supposed to meet he always let her know he was on his way. He never dropped by unannounced. 

“I hope I didn’t disturb you. I’ve been working and needed a break but,” he paused and fiddle with his cuff, “didn’t quite want to go home. Things are..tense.”

Tense was one word for it. Alex knew Coralee coming back wasn’t smooth sailing. How could it be? It was hard to say “sorry I disappeared for a decade but I still love you” and it was difficult to go from “I didn’t think I would see you again” to “now you’re right here” at that drop of a hat.

“Of course, come in.” Alex stepped aside and let Richard walk by her. She could read between the lines; he needed a friend.

Richard sat and Alex walked to the kitchen to pour him a glass of whisky without being asked. She sat next to him and handed him the drink. Being a journalist, she met interesting people all day long so her apartment was usually a revolving door of friends staying over. Her couch fit the lifestyle, large and comfy and automatically making her sink into Richard’s side.

“Thank you.” His fingers grazed her when he took the glass. “I see i didn't wake you.”

Alex laughed. “It’s only a little past midnight. There’s no way I’d be asleep right now. I’ve given up any hope of falling asleep before 4 in the morning.”

“Maybe you should-”

“Isn’t Coralee wondering where you are?”

After learning about her trouble sleeping Richard seemed to become equipped with an endless supply of sleeping tips. Anytime Alex referenced it he had another suggestion but she didn’t want to hear it. There was nothing that was going to help her right now. Getting her head together was the only cure. In the mean time, any mention of the problems between Richard and Coralee were enough to warn him away from prying into the topic.

It worked just as well this time and Richard stopped whatever he was about to suggest. They lapsed into silence. Alex was staring straight ahead at her computer and even though they were pressed together it felt like there was a world between them.

“I’m going to get myself a drink too,” she said for the sake of breaking the difficult silence. 

Richard grabbed her arm. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I just worry about whether you’re taking care of yourself.” His thumb brushed against the hairs on her arm so tenderly.

“It’s fine,” she said curtly, wanting to leave the topic completely. 

“You don’t make it easy,” Richard continued. Alex almost regretted letting him in.

“What are you talking about?”

“Not worrying about you,” Richard clarified. He set his glass on the coffee table and put his other hand above her knee. “You didn’t say anything this entire time. Never said a word about how all of this was affecting you; I had no idea. And now I don’t know how I’m supposed to be sure you’re not keeping anything else from me.”

Alex laughed at that, she couldn’t help herself. It was brash and incredulous. “You are the last person who should be talking about keeping secrets.” She pulled her arm from Richard’s hold but he just put his hand on her shoulder.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant-”

“Don’t start!” Alex looked straight at him, not in the mood to deal with his excuses. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t need a lecture on how ridiculous I was being and how there is nothing to worry about!”

This kept happening over and over. They kept bickering about little things instead of addressing the _so much_ between them. 

Any random person just listening to their voices would think they didn’t want to be near each other, but their bodies told a different story. They were turned toward each other from the waist up, pressed together waist down. Alex’s hands had found their way to his shoulders, confirming his shirt was as soft as it looked.

“I do not think you are ridiculous,” Richard insisted with whisky tinted breathe. They were so close. “You have to know how-”

Richard’s hands dug into her skin and suddenly his mouth was on hers. Alex’s arms wrapped tighter around him, ready to lose herself in the exhilarating drag of his lips, but then her hold transformed into a grab and she ripped Richard away from her.

“We shouldn’t,” she whispered.

He looked into her eyes, searching. Then he leaned in and touched his lips oh so gently to hers and Alex couldn’t suppress her full body shudder. It was apparently the answer to whatever he was looking for because he kissed her for real. There were no mixed signals from Alex anymore. She wrapped her arms around him and yanked him toward her with a moan. She threw one leg over him, her body yearning to be closer, to bask in the moment.

Richard’s hands travelled to her hips and rucked her pajama shirt up. She could feel his rough hands tracing her lower back and pictured red blisters appearing in their wake. There was so much heat between them his hands were like two scalding points on her body. Alex moved her mouth over his jaw, relishing in the feel of stubble against her lips. Richard threw his head back and groaned. Her lips moved down the inviting column of his throat as her hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. These thin pieces of fabric were too much between them all of a sudden and she _needed_ them gone, needed more of him. She rocked her hips, no longer plagued by the worries constantly streaming in her head and instead just losing herself in the sensations washing over her. 

Alex gasped and pulled her mouth away from where it was sucking on the skin beneath his collar bone. Her left hand was still running over the hair on his chest and it took a second for her lust-fogged brain to figure out why she stopped. She jerked again when she felt a strong vibration underneath her leg. Richard’s cell phone was going off, that is what pulled her out of her daze. The realization had her scrambling back, ignoring Richard’s pleading “wait.”

Alex pressed her back against the arm of the couch away from Richard, her eyes enraptured by the accusing glow coming from his pants pocket. “You should get that,” she said, the phone’s vibration the only thing heard over their panting. 

“Alex.”

It was only her name but it was imbued with so much longing. She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t face what’d she find there. She was too constantly keyed up and exhausted to deal with this. Alex couldn’t do anything but stare at the light that seemed like it was watching her in return.

“It’s late,” she said. “You should go home. I’m sure Coralee is wondering where you are.” She didn’t like the bitterness that spewed out around Coralee’s name. 

Alex knew Richard wanted her to look at him but she refused. After a minute he sighed and cleared his throat. He stood up and she could hear the rustle of fabric as he buttoned his shirt and ran a hand over his slacks to adjust them.  He grabbed his coat and walked to the door on his own. There was a pause as Richard stood there with the door open and Alex hoped with all her being he wouldn’t walk back over to the couch. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to do the right thing twice in one night. 

Richard cleared his throat once more. “We can’t keep pretending like it doesn’t exist.”

Alex didn’t respond, just listened to the slam of the door and the echoing sound of Richard’s footsteps as he walked to the elevator.

She spotted his forgotten glass of whisky on her coffee table, the glow of her computer screen illuminating the ring of condensation from where Richard pressed his mouth. She picked it up and drained the liquor in one go.

Finished, she sat back against the couch and put a hand over her face. Dr. Strand himself wanted her to stop pretending something didn’t exist. The irony was not lost on her and Alex began to giggle. She realized she sounded crazed but she couldn’ help it. She’s been working nearly non-stop since this series started, had about five hours of sleep in the past three days and all she wanted more than anything else was some rest. Instead, her life kept getting weirder and weirder.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
